David Axelrod Hits Karl Rove Over False Claim

Karl Rove took to the pages of the Wall Street Journal Thursday to slam the Obama re-election campaign’s 17-minute documentary as being “riddled with other inaccuracies and misleading claims.”

But it seems the GOP strategist took his own liberties with the truth in his column, mischaracterizing former President Bill Clinton’s comments on the killing of Osama bin Laden in “The Road We’ve Traveled” by omitting crucial words.

Senior Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod hit back at Rove on Twitter, saying the column “blatantly distorts Clinton” in an effort to “belittle Obamaâs gutsy call on Bin Laden.”

Here’s the passage in question from Rove’s op-ed:

As for the killing of Osama bin Laden, Mr. Obama did what virtually any commander in chief would have done in the same situation. Even President Bill Clinton says in the film “that’s the call I would have made.” For this to be portrayed as the epic achievement of the first term tells you how bare the White House cupboards are.

The full quote from Clinton reveals a different meaning, however. Clinton actually said “I hope thatâs the call I would have made,” after praising Obama for taking the “harder and the more honorable path.”

Axelrod straightened out the quote on Twitter, before taking one last jab at Rove and his powerful super PAC. “If these are the games Rove is going to play in his column, imagine what we can expect in his Crossroads ads!”